Horse-collar fastener.



No. 807,485. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. F. MULL.

HORSE COLLAR FASTENER."

APPLIOATION 211,21) APE.27,1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

FRED MULL, OF WORTH, MISSOURI.

HORSE-COLLAR FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2'7, 1905. Serial No. 257,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED MULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worth, in the county of Worth and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Collar Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to couplings or fastenings employed in connecting the separable ends of horse-collars, one of the objects being to provide a device of the character described that shall be simple and'inexpensive of construction and easy and efiective of operation.

Other objects and advantages of my invention,as well as the structural features by means of which these objects are attained, will'be made clear by an examination of the specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding portions throughout, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is an end view, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the latch.

1 designates curved plates having lateral projections 2, provided with openings 3, by means of which they may be secured to the upper ends of a separable collar, one plate being secured to each end, so as to meet opposite each other when the collar is in position on the horse. One of said plates is provided with two vertical projections or bumpers 4, which are provided with the horizontal lugs 5. The other plate has two vertical projections or bumpers 6, each of which has a notch or kerf 7 for the reception of the horizontal lug 5 on the opposite bumper.

8 designates an oblong latch having longi tudinal shanks or projections numbered 9, 10, and 11, respectively, and a thumb-piece or handle 12, by means of which it is operated. Between the shanks 9 and 10 is left an opening, and between the extending shank or projection 11 and the thumb-piece 12 .is another opening, the objects of which will hereinafter more clearly appear. This latch is hinged or pivotally mounted on one of the plates 1, preferably on the one on the right-hand side. In the drawings the latch is shown pivotally mounted by means of the straps 13, having collars 1 1 on onev end, in which the longitudinal projections 10 and 11 are arranged and adapted to turn. The latch 8 is also provided with a projecting lug 15 and another projecting lug 16, which is slightly curved and which engages with a leaf-spring 17, mounted on the right-hand plate 1.

In operation when it is desired to secure the collar to which my device is attached in place on the neck of a horse the two ends carrying the plates 1 are brought together, so that the bumpers on one of the plates contact with the bumpers 6 on the opposite plate, the lugs 5 entering the kerfs 7. These bumpers are rounded on their outer edge, so that the latch being controlled by the spring 17 slips over the bumpers on the left plate, and the longitudinal projection 9 is brought into contact with one of the bumpers on the left plate Patented. Dec. 19, 1905.

and the thumb-piece with the other, thus holding the two ends together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The object of the horizontal lugs 5 and the kerfs 7 is to prevent the plates from twisting or working up and down and to aid in holding the ends of the collar in position. When "it is desired to remove the collar, the latch is turned upwardly by means of the thumb-piece 12 until the lug 15 is brought into contact with the right-hand plate, which prevents the latch from being raised too high, thus releasing the bumpers 6 and permitting the ends of the collar to fall apart.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a device of the character described, the combination, with curved plates, of upwardly-projecting lugs arranged on the plates opposite each other, horizontally-projecting lugs on one of the plates, kerfs in the opposite plate adapted to receive the lugs, a springpressed latch having one of its sides hinged or pivotally mounted on one of the plates, the free end being adapted to engage with lugs on the opposite plate to hold the two plates together, and a step-lug projecting from the latch to limit its action.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination, with curved plates, of upwardly-projecting lugs arranged on the plates to contact with each other, horizontal lugs on one of the plates, kerfs in the other plate adapted to receive the lugs, a spring-pressed formed integral with the latch by means of latch, longitudinal projections formed intewhich it is operated. I gral with the latch by means of which said In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my latch is hinged or pivoted on one of the plates, signature in presence of two witnesses.

5 said latch being adapted to engage with the FRED MULL.

lugs on the opposite plate to hold the two Witnesses: plates together, a lug projecting from the W. L. CARNEs,

latch to control its action, and a thumb-piece J K. BLAKE. 

